Scrap block

ABSTRACT

An improved scrap block for use with commercial food service equipment. An upstanding lip extends inwardly along a portion of the upper edge of the block to allow rapid removal of jelled liquids and food particles from dishware. The lower engagement wall has a circular bead detent around its outer surface to insure that the block will not be knocked out of position. The block has an annular skirt covering the receiving hole, preventing drippings getting therein.

United States Patent Klein et al.

[451 May 16,1972

SCRAPBLOCK Hyman J. Klein, Closter, N.J.; Bennett W. Trupin, Brooklyn, NY.

Inventors:

Assignee: Instrument Systems Corporation, Jericho,

Filed: June 22, 1970 Appl. N0.: 47,940

US. Cl ..15/245, 146/214, 285/189 Int. Cl ..A22c 25/06 Field of Search ..108/24, 25, 26, 14, 27, 161, 108/42, 43, 50; 220/90, DIG. 6; 15/245, 246, 210; 285/189; 134/104; 232/1; 141/364, 392, 365, 366; 146/214; 193/1; 312/229, 140.4, 211, 212; 49/70 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,720,386 7/1929 Troiel 15/245 UX 3,221,955 12/1965 Banaszak et a1. ..220/90 UX 2,737,191 3/1956 Viall ..15/245 X Primary Examiner-Leon G. Machlin Attorney-Meyer A. Gross [57] ABSTRACT An improved scrap block for use with commercial food service equipment. An upstanding lip extends inwardly along a portion of the upper edge of the block to allow rapid removal of jelled liquids and food particles from dishware. The lower engagement wall has a circular bead detent around its outer surface to insure that the block will not be knocked out of position. The block has an annular skirt covering the receiving hole, preventing drippings getting therein.

12 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SCRAP BLOCK The present invention relates to scrap blocks, and more particularly to an improved scrap block for use primarily with commercial food service equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Commercial kitchens in restaurants, cafeterias or any inplant feeding facilities must have means for washing and sterilizing dishes of various sizes before they are again used to serve patrons.

Dirty dishes are brought into the kitchen in baskets or trays, and placed upon a Dish Table that varies in size but is of a standard depth with curved comers to facilitate cleaning.

Within this table near the sink, is a location for the scrap block. Scrap blocks are well-known in the art and are an integral attachment to a standard commercial food service cleaning facility. Generally, the block is made of rubber and rests in a hole or drain cut out from the bottom of the table. Directly under the block is the garbage can or garbage disposal unit, depending upon the volume of dishes. Since there are no sanitary regulations governing this equipment, except that it must be easily cleaned, and since no vermin can lodge in crevices, blocks currently available have been abused by using inferior rubber and fillers in their manufacture. These, in short order, erode and absorb odors, and in some cases attract vermin and roaches when the equipment is not in constant use.

Generally, the purpose of a scrap block is to facilitate removal of jelled liquids, bones and leftover foods which remain on the plate. Excess scraps of food are knocked off the dishes by hitting the edge of the dish on the top edge of the block. This jarring creates a shearing force which generally removes the waste particles. If food particles and jelled liquids still remain on the dishes, they can easily be wiped by the dishwasher, using either his hand, or for large dishes, wiping them across the top edge of the scrap block. For smaller dishes this is not feasible and even for the larger dishes, both using the hand or wiping across the standard block is not particularly effective and considerable food waste remains upon the dishes. Once the dishes have been cleaned at the block, they may be further rinsed by a hot water faucet with a jet attachment spout located over the sink, then stacked in large wire baskets and placed within the dishwashing machine, where the high pressure jet sprays and 180 F. water plus detergents, clean and sterilize the dishes.

In addition, the holes in the dish tables for receiving the scrap blocks are generally somewhat oversized to allow a loose fit and to facilitate removal of the block as desired. This creates another problem, namely, many times the block is knocked loose from the aperture, causing possible breakage of dishes and interrupting the cleaning process.

Furthermore, the liquids and drippings from the wastes have a tendency to seep beneath the outer wall of the block and in between the drain aperture and the portion of the block received therein. As the liquids dry, an adhesive force may be created, making it very difficult to remove the block from the hole.

Accordingly, among the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an improved scrap block which will facilitate the removal of jelled liquids and other waste products stuck to dishware or to other such food receptacles, without requiring the actual use of the hands for removal.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an invention of the character described having means to prevent accidental removal of the scrap block from the drain aperture.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a construction having an annular skirt to prevent seepage of liquid between the drain aperture and the lower engagement wall of the block.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a scrap block which can be manufactured and produced on a relatively inexpensive basis from inexpensive materials, and yet will be durable to a high degree in use.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a scrap block made of durable plastic material that can be easily cleaned and will not retain unpleasant odors as do presently used blocks made of inferior rubber or rubber substitutes.

Basically, the invention consists of a standard scrap block having an upper annular wall made out of a flexible material such as polyproplyene or polyethylene, or other polymers, and having a lower engagement Wall sized to be received within the aperture of a drain. Positioned along a portion of the upper edge of the upper wall is an inwardly extending lip portion. Thus, a plate can be jarred along the remaining portion of the upper edge in the standard well-known manner, and any other jelled liquids or foods remaining on the plate may be scraped across the inwardly extending lip portion, falling directly into the receptacle below the scrap block.

Spaced along the outer surface of the lower engagement walls are either a plurality of elongated detents or a circular bead around the perimeter which insure that the fit between the lower engagement wall and the aperture of the drain is a firm one. This will eliminate accidental removal of the scrap block from the aperture.

Furthermore, the upper wall ends in a lower outwardly extending annular skirt. This skirt prevents liquids from dripping down the outside of the upper wall from passing in between the drain aperture and lower engagement wall, and thus prevents any interior build-up and eliminating any consequent difficulties in removal of the block.

The above description and objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. I is a top perspective view of the scrap block in position on a cutaway portion of a dish-table with the inwardly extending lip in the forefront;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the scrap block;

FIG. 3 is a side-elevational view of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view with the center cut away, showing the bead engaging the drain aperture, and the skirt resting upon the upper surface of the drain wall.

Turning to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown an improved scrap block 10 comprising an upper wall 12, a lip 14, a lower engagement wall 16 (FIG. 3) and a downwardly extending annular skirt 18.

The scrap block is positioned upon a commercial dish table drain of a piece of food service equipment commonly used in commercial kitchens of restaurants, cafeterias, etc., and is very well known in the art. The drain containing the block is shown, for illustration purposes in FIG. 1 in a standard commercial dish table. The wall 20 has a lower surface 22 and an upper surface 24, and may be supported by legs 26. Located in a desired position upon the wall 20 is an aperture 28 defined by a side wall 30. The aperture is sized to receive standard scrap blocks, in accordance, for example, with established health specifications.

The scrap block itself, is usually made of a polymer material that is odor free and will not be affected by organic or inorganic substances. Examples of such materials are polyethylene or polypropylene. These materials have the resiliency of rubber, but will be impervious to organic and inorganic substances created by decayed foods or detergents. It would also have to withstand water since it will frequently be prerinsed and may be put through a dishwashing machine cycle for cleaning purposes. The upper wall 12 is annular and hollow except for a series of reinforcing ribs and is defined by an outer wall 32, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 33, an inner wall 34, and a top surface 36. The ribs may be any convenient number, such as 4, 8, or I2, and serve to strengthen the structure. The top surface may be somewhat rounded and blends with the walls 32, 34. Particularly, the inner edge may be sloped inwardly and downwardly as at 38 (FIG. 4) to facilitate drainage of materials as they come ofi the plate and into the center of the block, and not over the outside. As best seen in FIG. 4, it is also possible that along some portions of the block the wall 12 may be such that the wall 32 is not parallel to wall 34, but is sloped inwardly to facilitate passage of material down the interior of the block.

The inner wall 34 extends inwardly and downwardly to also form the inner surface of the lower engagement wall 16. The engagement wall is further defined by an outer surface 40 and an end surface 42. The wall 16 is much thinner in relation to the wall 12.

Positioned on the outer surface 40 of the wall 16 is a continuous circular bead 43. While it is possible to accomplish the desired results with a single detent, or preferably three detents, it has been found that the use of the bead provides the most satisfactory results. The use of the bead insures that there is a firm, solid fit of the block within the opening 28, the bead firmly engaging the inner surface of the opening as described more fully below. This prevents the scrap block from being accidentally knocked out of the aperture. Yet on the other hand, when it is desired to remove the block, it may be easily withdrawn from the opening by a vertical movement. Since the rim 16 extends considerably beyond the bottom of the table, by simply inserting the user's hand into the opening and grabbing the edge of the rim 42, the suction between the block and table will be broken and the block may be easily removed.

The annular skirt 18 is positioned between the walls 16 and 12, and is defined by an annular shoulder 44 extending downwardly from wall 32 and terminating in a vertical surface 46. A leg 48 depends downwardly from the skirt and is defined in part by the surface 46, a bottom surface 50 defining an annular ring, and an instep surface 52.

In the past, liquids have run down the outer surface 32 and onto the surface 24 of the drain, then pass inwardly between the wall 16 and the opening 28. As these liquids have dried therein, they have solidified and have made it difficult to pry scrap blocks loose from the drain apertures. When the rim 16 is put into the dish table hole 30, the bead grabs under the metal hole, causing the outer wall (32-44-48) to act as a suction cup, creating an almost perfect seal against seepage or leakage into the hole itself. This is not possible with the conventional scrap block. This is due to the fact that the wall as seen in FIG. 4 is hollow, creating a definite air space between the walls 32, 34. The presence of the skirt prevents the liquids from passing between the aperture and the wall, and significantly facilitates cleaning and replacement of the blocks, as desired.

Extending upwardly from the wall 12 is the inwardly extending lip 14. The lip is constructed around the portion of the upper edge 36. There are no precise limitations for the length of the lip around the edge, but it has been found that generally a lip of greater than 90 but less than l80 allows the user to jar the food loose from the dishes in the usual manner and still manipulate the dishes across the lip. Making the lip too wide would eliminate its usefullness as a scraper across the base of a dish, while making it too narrow would require repetitive passes over the lip to remove the waste upon the dish. As has been pointed out, the scraper may be anywhere from 90 to l80 in length along the circumference, but the optimum size is 120 with a smooth blending of the surfaces 62, 64, 66 having rounded edges capable of engaging smaller dishes, such as saucers. Thus, even small dishes or shallow pots may be wiped by the scraper.

The lip is defined by an inwardly extending curved wall 56 defined by an outer surface 58 and inner surface 60, side surfaces 62, 64 and an upper edge 66.

In use, the scrap block, which is made of a non-marking material, such as non-marking polymer material is placed in position within an aperture of a commercial dish table. The detents insure a firm fit without a consequent knocking out of the scrap block, and the annular skirt insured that liquids will not travel underneath the block and cause adhesion of the block in the inner surface of the aperture.

The person takes a dish with waste materials on them and jars it against the edge 36 of the scrap block in the well-known manner. Since the block is made of a yieldable substance, this can be done by providing a significant shearing force on the waste particles from the dish without damaging the dish. Any materials that are still on the dish due to jelled liquids themselves, or jelled liquids holding scraps thereon, may be removed by the dishwasher grabbing the dish on the bottom surface and drawing the top surface across the lip, the edge 66 and the side 62, 64, contacting the surface of the plate or shallow pot. This will scrape the remaining particles off the dish, allowing them to fall through the aperture defined by the surface 34 and into a convenient receptacle or disposal unit positioned underneath.

This also eliminates the necessity for hand scraping, or for using a separate scraper or spatula, which could conceivably easily become lost or misplaced during peak load time periods.

it is readily apparent that such a scrap block may be utilized for other purposes than removal of excess foods and dishes and may be used for other food preparing items such as pots, pans, etc. Furthermore, the present invention would have utility in laboratory or research environments, wherever it is desired to clean receptacle type utensils.

The terms and expressions which have been employed here are used as terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An improved scrap block made of relatively flexible material positioned within an aperture in a commercial food service table comprising:

a. an upper wall having an upper edge and a lower edge and an inner wall and an outer wall defining a hollow space therebetween;

b. a lower wall secured to the upper wall at its lower edge and received within the aperture; and

c. a lip portion including an upwardly and inwardly extending wall section, extending along the portion of the upper wall, secured to the upper edge thereof.

2. The invention according to claim 1, the lip portion extending upwardly from the upper wall.

3. The invention according to claim 2, the inner surfaces of the lower wall and upper wall being contiguous.

4. The invention according to claim 3, the lip section extending along less than 180 of the upper wall.

5. The invention according to claim 2, the lip extending along of the upper wall.

6. The invention according to claim 5, the lip being defined by two opposed side surfaces and upper edge therebetween, the upper edge and side surfaces having rounded connecting edges therebetween.

7. The invention according to claim 2, at least one detent located on the outer surface of the lower wall.

8. The invention according to claim 2, a circular bead located on the outer surface of the lower wall.

9. The invention according to claim 1, an annular skirt extending outwardly and downwardly from the outer wall, the bottom surface thereof contacting the food service table.

10. The invention according to claim 9, at least one elongated detent secured to the outer surface of the lower wall, positioned below the food surface table, abutting the bottom surface thereof, so that when the block is in position within the aperture, a strong securement is maintained between the block and the table, creating a suction fit.

11. The invention according to claim 9, the walls being joined unitarily, the skirt engaging the upper surface and the wall engaging the lowe surface of the food service table to hermetically confine the hollow space between the aperture and the block.

12. The invention according to claim 11, the lower wall having means to engage the lower surface of the food service table and the surface of the aperture to form an hermetic seal, the

means and the skirt thus forming a suction fit with the aperture. 5 

1. An improved scrap block made of relatively flexible material positioned within an aperture in a commercial food service table comprising: a. an upper wall having an upper edge and a lower edge and an inner wall and an outer wall defining a hollow space therebetween; b. a lower wall secured to the upper wall at its lower edge and received within the aperture; and c. a lip portion including an upwardly and inwardly extending wall section, extending along the portion of the upper wall, secured to the upper edge thereof.
 2. The invention according to claim 1, the lip portion extending upwardly from the upper wall.
 3. The invention according to claim 2, the inner Surfaces of the lower wall and upper wall being contiguous.
 4. The invention according to claim 3, the lip section extending along less than 180* of the upper wall.
 5. The invention according to claim 2, the lip extending along 120* of the upper wall.
 6. The invention according to claim 5, the lip being defined by two opposed side surfaces and upper edge therebetween, the upper edge and side surfaces having rounded connecting edges therebetween.
 7. The invention according to claim 2, at least one detent located on the outer surface of the lower wall.
 8. The invention according to claim 2, a circular bead located on the outer surface of the lower wall.
 9. The invention according to claim 1, an annular skirt extending outwardly and downwardly from the outer wall, the bottom surface thereof contacting the food service table.
 10. The invention according to claim 9, at least one elongated detent secured to the outer surface of the lower wall, positioned below the food surface table, abutting the bottom surface thereof, so that when the block is in position within the aperture, a strong securement is maintained between the block and the table, creating a suction fit.
 11. The invention according to claim 9, the walls being joined unitarily, the skirt engaging the upper surface and the wall engaging the lowe surface of the food service table to hermetically confine the hollow space between the aperture and the block.
 12. The invention according to claim 11, the lower wall having means to engage the lower surface of the food service table and the surface of the aperture to form an hermetic seal, the means and the skirt thus forming a suction fit with the aperture. 